My district's AUP/RUP was updated in August 2010. It includes information on child safety and has cyberbullying provisions. Under the Technology Safety portion of the AUP, it states that "bullying involving the use of technology (cyberbullying) will not be tolerated from either school or home and may result in suspension and/or a recommendation for expulsion."
In regards to copyright and plagiarism, CUSD's AUP mentions that students shall comply with copyright laws and intellectual property rights of others. The AUP is also written in a proactive way. It is clear that if students follow the policy, they will have access to instructional technology.
Does your district require parental signature for students to be able to utilize the Internet, or does it only require a signiture if parents do not wish their child to use the Internet? My school district requires a parental and student signature to be able to utilize the Internet. How well is the RUP/AUP understood by teachers, students, and parents? I would say some teachers have a good understanding of the policy. However, there are still probably teachers in my district that do not comply with copyright laws with the usage of photos, etc. I have made more of an effort after going through MERIT to teach my students how to search in Creative Commons for photos that have a license that allows them to use the photo. I think parents might also learn and understand from their children the acceptable use of technology. However, it is still important as educators to relay this information to parents early on. Who is involved in revising the AUP/RUP (and the technology plan)? Are teachers, students, and parents included on the committee? There is a committee at the district that works on revising the plan. Normally when teacher have any questions regarding the AUP, they can contact our district communications director, Jeremy Nishihara.
Analyze your districts’ AUP/RUP. Compare it to the examples provided in this module. What changes would you make if you were involved in revising it? How might you assure that it is read and understood by all constituents (parents, teachers, administrators, and students). Under the technology safety portion of our AUP, it states that "cyberbullying with not be tolerated at school or at home." I wonder if there would be another way of wording this statement so it easier to enforce, especially since cyberbullying frequently occurs not on school premises.
Module #2
Warm-up: Reflect on the part modeling plays as you deal with issues of copyright and ethics in your classroom. How will you model ethical and legal uses of resources for your students?
I believe it is important to model the expectations that I am requesting of my students. I will model ethical and legal uses of resources by recognizing the copyright policies and regulations. Since I teach 2nd grade, it is a bit difficult to go into depth on copyright issues. However, I do think it is more important in the primary grades to model and educate parents on the ethical and legal uses of resources. Perhaps this could be something I could do at future Back to School Nights. For example, if my second grade students are working on a Keynote presentation or biography report at home, I think it's important to bring parents on board to help them search for photos that they are allowed to use. Possibly explaining to the parents early on in the year would help them when they are working with their child at home.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does this information on copyright correspond with what you already know and use in your classroom?
I have learned a bit about copyright information from the MERIT program. I know that copyrights are used to protect the original authors and his/her creativity. I also am aware of copyright, trademarks, and fair use terms because my brother is a photographer and does installations and other types of artwork. I know he is very cautious of copyrighting his work.
In my classroom, I try to think about copyright when using photos for my class website. I have started to use some of my own photos to post instead of searching for images. I have found it easier to just take a quick picture of something the students have been working on rather than trying to find an image.
2. How are you teaching your students about copyright?
Since I teach 2nd grade, it is a bit difficult to teach my students about copyright issues. However, when they do search for photos for a project, I try to have them go to the Creative Commons Flickr website to search instead of having them search on Google images. I've explained to them that most of the photos on the Creative Commons site has photos where the artist has given permission for them to use their photo. In the spring I will also have them use music to add to a project that they've been working on. I am planning on teaching them how to create their own music in Garageband. I will explain to them why we can't just use a song off of iTunes.
3. How do you model correct use of copyrighted materials in your classroom and in your daily life?
The best way I model correct use of copyrighted materials in my classroom and daily life is by using my own photos or music I have created. At the end of the year, I always make a DVD of the photos I have collected of my students. I have now created my own tunes to play instead of using songs from an artist. I now know that that is not legal. I also try to educate my grade level colleagues on copyright issues as well.
4. Do you observe violations of copyright law in your school or among your associates? If so, what violations have your noticed (perhaps now as a result of reading the above materials), and how might you help people to better understand copyright?
I do observe violations of copyright law in my school. For example, my grade level team had a winter sing along concert a couple of months ago. The teacher that was in charge of putting it together made copies of all of the songs and put it on a CD for us. She said that every year, she has a parent make enough copies for her send it home with each child. When she suggested this at our grade level meeting, I spoke up and said that I wouldn't be making copies for my students. I said that it was violating the copyright law for those songs and the artists. Unfortunately, this teacher did not see anything wrong with making 30+ copies each year of winter songs because she had "done it for years" and had already purchased the album once off of iTunes. I just explained to her the reasoning behind why I wasn't going to do it. A few other teachers on my grade level decided not to make the copies as well. Hopefully in the future, she will not continue to make the copies.
5. Why do you think some people violate copyright law?
I think many people are just unaware of the laws. There are times where I forget and just make copies of a poem I have used every year. I will take the time to read the copyright laws and start thinking about them when researching the materials for my activities and lessons. Unfortunately, I think for some people they just don't put themselves in the shoes of artists, and poets, and photographers, etc. After having the above interaction with another colleague, I was shocked that she didn't see anything wrong with making hundreds of copies over the years after only purchasing the album once. I think it comes down to people just being ethical. Just recognizing that people are trying to make money is maybe the simplest way to remember not to violate copyright laws.
6. Why do we have copyright laws?
We have copyright laws to protect the creative and original work of authors.
Module #3
Think about how you teach digital citizenship in your classroom. How do you integrate this with your academic content? How does your school or district promote good digital citizenship? How might you, your school, and/or your district better integrate digital citizenship into the curriculum? How might you help the parents of your students teach their children to be good digital citizens?
In the past, I have always talked briefly about how my students should conduct themselves when in the computer lab and how to keep their Google Apps passwords private. I have never really taught a lesson about digital citizenship until this year. I saw a presentation about a month ago where a representative from Common Sense Media came to discuss what Common Sense Media was, the many lessons and activities they have to offer, and how these lessons can teach children about cyberethics, digital citizenship and staying safe in the online world. I especially liked how the lessons all correlate with the Common Core Standards.
A couple of weeks ago, I taught my very first lesson on online safety to my second graders. I found the lesson on the Common Sense Media website. Everything was provided for me. Materials were listed, routines and procedures, possible assessment and follow-up activities, a homework extension and tips for parents. The lesson was well received by both my second grade students and their parents. I am looking forward to implementing these lessons into my curriculum. When I taught this lesson, I taught it during my literacy block. There was a writing extension, vocabulary development and interactive activities for the students.
I am currently on the district technology team. One of our goals this year is to help teachers at our school sites have an awareness of the Common Sense Media curriculum. Starting next year, teachers will be expected to start implementing the lessons. Just this last week, Cris Lawson, Stacy Caudill and I provided staff development that gave information about what Common Sense Media is and where they can find lessons for their grade level. I feel that my district is doing a good job of making teachers aware of cyberethics and citizenship with this new curriculum. It is also very easy to do and students of all ages seem to really enjoy the lessons and activities.
I personally feel that the tips on the website (commonsensemedia.org) are very informative and helpful for parents. After teaching a lesson on online safety and how to determine a "just right" website, I sent home an email and a homework extension. The parents were able to click the link of the website and see the tips and suggestions that went along with the lesson. For homework the students spent some time with their parents finding 3 websites that they may visit on their own. The parents enjoyed this activity and are learning about digital citizenship as well. This lesson also tied in well with our social studies curriculum of communities. We discussed how we stay safe in our community and at our school. Then we discussed how we do the same in the online community as well.
What types of cyberbullying have you seen at your school? Has your staff discussed cyberbulling and how to deal with it? If so, how cyberbullying being addressed? Does your school or district’s tech plan or AUP/RUP contain information on cyberbullying and how it is to be handled? What can you do to prevent cyberbullying?
I have not seen cyberbullying in my classroom since I teach 2nd grade, but that does not mean that it does not occur at our school. I have heard 5th grade teachers discuss cyberbullying when some of their students are working on a Google doc. They may write something about someone else in the class on their Google doc for their teammates to see. The fifth grade teacher immediately addressed the situation with individual students as well as the class. Our staff has briefly discussed cyberbullying at our last training. We met in grade levels (K/1, 2/3, and 4/5). Our school also has an Internet Safety Night at the beginning of the school year.
Our district AUP states:
Bullying, involving the use of technology (cyberbullying) will not be tolerated from either school or home and may result in suspension and/or a recommendation for expulsion. Also, when appropriate, local law enforcement may be involved.
Consider how you might use these and the above information to teach your students about digital citizenship.
I am planning on using the Common Sense Media lessons to teach my students about digital citizenship. The lessons also correlate with Common Core Standards so I know that I will be able to continue to use these lessons in future years. The website provides many videos that are kid-friendly, especially for second graders. I feel that the videos that I viewed in module #3 are too advanced for some of my second graders. I think they may work with upper grade and our middle school.
Module #4
As you explore these resources consider how you will teach your students about cyberbullying and what they can do to prevent it. How will you reach out to students who have been victims of cyberbulling? How will you help parents to understand the implications and indications of cyberbullying for their children (both as cyberbulliers and as victims).
I liked the "How to avoid cyberbullying" article. A previous article also stated that it is important to have the computer in a common place in the house, like the kitchen. That is something we can help parents to understand, but that is hard for teachers to enforce. I believe it is important to teach children how to stop cyberbullying. If there is an email going around, or students chatting/gossiping about another child, teaching children to be proactive and stop the chain of bullying is essential. Educating children to not pass along harmful emails or information is beneficial. I also liked how the article suggested having children encourage their friends to do the same. I would try to teach my students these skills and how to distance themselves from people that would start or support cyberbullying in the first place.
Since I teach second grade, I could also see myself using Honeycutt's book, "Don't Stay Under the Couch: Starbuck and the Bully." I think my students would be able to understand how the dog was feeling and how it wasn't acceptable for him to be treated like that. I also would use the acronym, HERO. I believe it is a simple way of remembering how to help prevent online bullying, as well as bullying in the real world.
Like I have indicated in previous modules, I think it is important to have parents understand the implications and indications of cyberbullying by educating them as well. Having a parent education night and making sure the district and school AUP has clear rules and consequences for what happens when a child is cyberbullying is an important way to keep parents on the same page.
Some of these videos were graphic and I had a really hard time watching them. It breaks my heart and I am in complete shock that bullying goes on every day in schools and sometimes students, teachers and administrators sit back and don't do anything about it. If there is one thing that I would want my students to learn, it would be to know that they are worth it, special, important and loved. That no one ever deserves to be treated poorly or harassed or beaten. Educating parents right away and starting with programs, such as Project Cornerstone at an early age, will hopefully help children learn respect and empathy.
As you view these videos think about how you might use them, or the information in them with your students.
I would not use these videos with my students since they are too young.
Module #5
How can you be sure the information you and your students find represents factual information?
The articles and videos in Module #5 support my thoughts and viewpoint on finding information on the Internet. I believe that it is imperative to teach children how to search properly on the Internet. Incorporating lesson plans that encourage students to determine whether or not a site is valid or appropriate is important. If we are preparing students for the global economy, it is also important to teach them not to believe everything they hear or read. I think many younger children seem to believe anything on the internet. A couple of months ago, I was introduced to the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. This was a perfect website that illustrated how we should not believe everything we see on the web. I used this website with my students a couple of weeks ago and they were shocked. After allowing them to navigate through the website a bit, I told them that it was totally fake and that there was no such thing as a Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. This was a great website to teach this concept. I also liked the other informational literacy websites that I read about in this week's module.
How can you find sites that will hold your students’ attention long enough for them to gather the information they need?
First and foremost, teachers should always try to view websites before introducing them to students. Since I teach primary, my students seemed to be more engaged with websites that are colorful, interactive and respond to them. I think this is the same for when my students are working on iPod touches. Many of the apps I use are progress monitoring, colorful and engaging. When students are on the Internet researching, it may be beneficial for them to identify key words or terms before begin the researching process. This is what many college students due when working on research papers.
How can you better integrate higher order thinking skills into your curriculum that will help students be better users of the Internet?
I think it is important to teach kids how to critique websites. After sharing the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus with my kids, we went back and looked at the website with a different approach. We looked at certain aspects of the website that might be off, or inconsistent. We clicked on links that led to nowhere. We also talked about looking at the publisher and what resources they were using. Doing activities like this helps students begin to integrate higher order thinking skills when using the Internet. The Common Sense Media website provides resources for teaching kids how to do this.
As you view these videos consider how you will approach these two topics with your students. How do you teach these two concepts now?
I always try to have a few lessons at the beginning of the school year that introduce basic researching skills. I teach primary so I do not get too specific. I know our 4th and 5th grade teachers spend quite a bit of time on teaching students researching skills. I did not feel that I would be able to use the videos with my students because they would not be appropriate for their age level. I thought the video that used C.R.A.P as an acronym for helping people remember how to research on the Internet is an interesting reminder, but definitely not acceptable to teach young children.
I may use the last video in a staff meeting to help teachers understand what they should be teaching students.
What have you learned or found in this module that will help you as you teach these concepts to your students? Which of the above resources have been the most helpful for you? At what age should be begin to teach these concepts to students?
I think it is beneficial to teach these concepts to students starting in Kindergarten. However, I feel that it is important to have lessons and videos that are age appropriate. I have found many of the lessons and videos beneficial on the Common Sense Media website.
Module #6
What is our resonsibility as educators, parents, students, and citizens to assure that all children, young people, as well as all of the people with whom we intersect, be responsible digital citizens?
It is our responsibility as educators, parents, students and citizens to assure that all children are responsible digital citizens by helping to guide, educate and model proper digital citizenship. We would do the same when it comes to the real world. We help guide and encourage them to make good choices that are safe. As an educator, I believe it is important to help children be cautious when entering the digital world. Allowing kids to just try and explore might not always be the best experience for them. Teaching students how to approach different digital circumstances, such as inappropriate websites, or cyberbullying will help them becoming responsible and ethical digital citizens. I think sometimes people have the viewpoint of "what they don't know, won't hurt them." I believe this does not apply when it comes to the digital world. Students should be prepared at a young age to know how to handle a situation on the computer. Guiding them and helping create a safe environment will help them when entering the digital world. Bringing parents on board will also benefit students. Having the reinforcement at home is essential.
My district's AUP/RUP was updated in August 2010. It includes information on child safety and has cyberbullying provisions. Under the Technology Safety portion of the AUP, it states that "bullying involving the use of technology (cyberbullying) will not be tolerated from either school or home and may result in suspension and/or a recommendation for expulsion."
In regards to copyright and plagiarism, CUSD's AUP mentions that students shall comply with copyright laws and intellectual property rights of others. The AUP is also written in a proactive way. It is clear that if students follow the policy, they will have access to instructional technology.
Does your district require parental signature for students to be able to utilize the Internet, or does it only require a signiture if parents do not wish their child to use the Internet? My school district requires a parental and student signature to be able to utilize the Internet. How well is the RUP/AUP understood by teachers, students, and parents? I would say some teachers have a good understanding of the policy. However, there are still probably teachers in my district that do not comply with copyright laws with the usage of photos, etc. I have made more of an effort after going through MERIT to teach my students how to search in Creative Commons for photos that have a license that allows them to use the photo. I think parents might also learn and understand from their children the acceptable use of technology. However, it is still important as educators to relay this information to parents early on. Who is involved in revising the AUP/RUP (and the technology plan)? Are teachers, students, and parents included on the committee? There is a committee at the district that works on revising the plan. Normally when teacher have any questions regarding the AUP, they can contact our district communications director, Jeremy Nishihara.
Analyze your districts’ AUP/RUP. Compare it to the examples provided in this module. What changes would you make if you were involved in revising it? How might you assure that it is read and understood by all constituents (parents, teachers, administrators, and students). Under the technology safety portion of our AUP, it states that "cyberbullying with not be tolerated at school or at home." I wonder if there would be another way of wording this statement so it easier to enforce, especially since cyberbullying frequently occurs not on school premises.
Module #2
Warm-up: Reflect on the part modeling plays as you deal with issues of copyright and ethics in your classroom. How will you model ethical and legal uses of resources for your students?
I believe it is important to model the expectations that I am requesting of my students. I will model ethical and legal uses of resources by recognizing the copyright policies and regulations. Since I teach 2nd grade, it is a bit difficult to go into depth on copyright issues. However, I do think it is more important in the primary grades to model and educate parents on the ethical and legal uses of resources. Perhaps this could be something I could do at future Back to School Nights. For example, if my second grade students are working on a Keynote presentation or biography report at home, I think it's important to bring parents on board to help them search for photos that they are allowed to use. Possibly explaining to the parents early on in the year would help them when they are working with their child at home.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does this information on copyright correspond with what you already know and use in your classroom?
I have learned a bit about copyright information from the MERIT program. I know that copyrights are used to protect the original authors and his/her creativity. I also am aware of copyright, trademarks, and fair use terms because my brother is a photographer and does installations and other types of artwork. I know he is very cautious of copyrighting his work.
In my classroom, I try to think about copyright when using photos for my class website. I have started to use some of my own photos to post instead of searching for images. I have found it easier to just take a quick picture of something the students have been working on rather than trying to find an image.
2. How are you teaching your students about copyright?
Since I teach 2nd grade, it is a bit difficult to teach my students about copyright issues. However, when they do search for photos for a project, I try to have them go to the Creative Commons Flickr website to search instead of having them search on Google images. I've explained to them that most of the photos on the Creative Commons site has photos where the artist has given permission for them to use their photo. In the spring I will also have them use music to add to a project that they've been working on. I am planning on teaching them how to create their own music in Garageband. I will explain to them why we can't just use a song off of iTunes.
3. How do you model correct use of copyrighted materials in your classroom and in your daily life?
The best way I model correct use of copyrighted materials in my classroom and daily life is by using my own photos or music I have created. At the end of the year, I always make a DVD of the photos I have collected of my students. I have now created my own tunes to play instead of using songs from an artist. I now know that that is not legal. I also try to educate my grade level colleagues on copyright issues as well.
4. Do you observe violations of copyright law in your school or among your associates? If so, what violations have your noticed (perhaps now as a result of reading the above materials), and how might you help people to better understand copyright?
I do observe violations of copyright law in my school. For example, my grade level team had a winter sing along concert a couple of months ago. The teacher that was in charge of putting it together made copies of all of the songs and put it on a CD for us. She said that every year, she has a parent make enough copies for her send it home with each child. When she suggested this at our grade level meeting, I spoke up and said that I wouldn't be making copies for my students. I said that it was violating the copyright law for those songs and the artists. Unfortunately, this teacher did not see anything wrong with making 30+ copies each year of winter songs because she had "done it for years" and had already purchased the album once off of iTunes. I just explained to her the reasoning behind why I wasn't going to do it. A few other teachers on my grade level decided not to make the copies as well. Hopefully in the future, she will not continue to make the copies.
5. Why do you think some people violate copyright law?
I think many people are just unaware of the laws. There are times where I forget and just make copies of a poem I have used every year. I will take the time to read the copyright laws and start thinking about them when researching the materials for my activities and lessons. Unfortunately, I think for some people they just don't put themselves in the shoes of artists, and poets, and photographers, etc. After having the above interaction with another colleague, I was shocked that she didn't see anything wrong with making hundreds of copies over the years after only purchasing the album once. I think it comes down to people just being ethical. Just recognizing that people are trying to make money is maybe the simplest way to remember not to violate copyright laws.
6. Why do we have copyright laws?
We have copyright laws to protect the creative and original work of authors.
Module #3
Think about how you teach digital citizenship in your classroom. How do you integrate this with your academic content? How does your school or district promote good digital citizenship? How might you, your school, and/or your district better integrate digital citizenship into the curriculum? How might you help the parents of your students teach their children to be good digital citizens?
In the past, I have always talked briefly about how my students should conduct themselves when in the computer lab and how to keep their Google Apps passwords private. I have never really taught a lesson about digital citizenship until this year. I saw a presentation about a month ago where a representative from Common Sense Media came to discuss what Common Sense Media was, the many lessons and activities they have to offer, and how these lessons can teach children about cyberethics, digital citizenship and staying safe in the online world. I especially liked how the lessons all correlate with the Common Core Standards.
A couple of weeks ago, I taught my very first lesson on online safety to my second graders. I found the lesson on the Common Sense Media website. Everything was provided for me. Materials were listed, routines and procedures, possible assessment and follow-up activities, a homework extension and tips for parents. The lesson was well received by both my second grade students and their parents. I am looking forward to implementing these lessons into my curriculum. When I taught this lesson, I taught it during my literacy block. There was a writing extension, vocabulary development and interactive activities for the students.
I am currently on the district technology team. One of our goals this year is to help teachers at our school sites have an awareness of the Common Sense Media curriculum. Starting next year, teachers will be expected to start implementing the lessons. Just this last week, Cris Lawson, Stacy Caudill and I provided staff development that gave information about what Common Sense Media is and where they can find lessons for their grade level. I feel that my district is doing a good job of making teachers aware of cyberethics and citizenship with this new curriculum. It is also very easy to do and students of all ages seem to really enjoy the lessons and activities.
I personally feel that the tips on the website (commonsensemedia.org) are very informative and helpful for parents. After teaching a lesson on online safety and how to determine a "just right" website, I sent home an email and a homework extension. The parents were able to click the link of the website and see the tips and suggestions that went along with the lesson. For homework the students spent some time with their parents finding 3 websites that they may visit on their own. The parents enjoyed this activity and are learning about digital citizenship as well. This lesson also tied in well with our social studies curriculum of communities. We discussed how we stay safe in our community and at our school. Then we discussed how we do the same in the online community as well.
What types of cyberbullying have you seen at your school? Has your staff discussed cyberbulling and how to deal with it? If so, how cyberbullying being addressed? Does your school or district’s tech plan or AUP/RUP contain information on cyberbullying and how it is to be handled? What can you do to prevent cyberbullying?
I have not seen cyberbullying in my classroom since I teach 2nd grade, but that does not mean that it does not occur at our school. I have heard 5th grade teachers discuss cyberbullying when some of their students are working on a Google doc. They may write something about someone else in the class on their Google doc for their teammates to see. The fifth grade teacher immediately addressed the situation with individual students as well as the class. Our staff has briefly discussed cyberbullying at our last training. We met in grade levels (K/1, 2/3, and 4/5). Our school also has an Internet Safety Night at the beginning of the school year.
Our district AUP states:
Consider how you might use these and the above information to teach your students about digital citizenship.
I am planning on using the Common Sense Media lessons to teach my students about digital citizenship. The lessons also correlate with Common Core Standards so I know that I will be able to continue to use these lessons in future years. The website provides many videos that are kid-friendly, especially for second graders. I feel that the videos that I viewed in module #3 are too advanced for some of my second graders. I think they may work with upper grade and our middle school.
Module #4
As you explore these resources consider how you will teach your students about cyberbullying and what they can do to prevent it. How will you reach out to students who have been victims of cyberbulling? How will you help parents to understand the implications and indications of cyberbullying for their children (both as cyberbulliers and as victims).
I liked the "How to avoid cyberbullying" article. A previous article also stated that it is important to have the computer in a common place in the house, like the kitchen. That is something we can help parents to understand, but that is hard for teachers to enforce. I believe it is important to teach children how to stop cyberbullying. If there is an email going around, or students chatting/gossiping about another child, teaching children to be proactive and stop the chain of bullying is essential. Educating children to not pass along harmful emails or information is beneficial. I also liked how the article suggested having children encourage their friends to do the same. I would try to teach my students these skills and how to distance themselves from people that would start or support cyberbullying in the first place.
Since I teach second grade, I could also see myself using Honeycutt's book, "Don't Stay Under the Couch: Starbuck and the Bully." I think my students would be able to understand how the dog was feeling and how it wasn't acceptable for him to be treated like that. I also would use the acronym, HERO. I believe it is a simple way of remembering how to help prevent online bullying, as well as bullying in the real world.
Like I have indicated in previous modules, I think it is important to have parents understand the implications and indications of cyberbullying by educating them as well. Having a parent education night and making sure the district and school AUP has clear rules and consequences for what happens when a child is cyberbullying is an important way to keep parents on the same page.
Some of these videos were graphic and I had a really hard time watching them. It breaks my heart and I am in complete shock that bullying goes on every day in schools and sometimes students, teachers and administrators sit back and don't do anything about it. If there is one thing that I would want my students to learn, it would be to know that they are worth it, special, important and loved. That no one ever deserves to be treated poorly or harassed or beaten. Educating parents right away and starting with programs, such as Project Cornerstone at an early age, will hopefully help children learn respect and empathy.
As you view these videos think about how you might use them, or the information in them with your students.
I would not use these videos with my students since they are too young.
Module #5
How can you be sure the information you and your students find represents factual information?
The articles and videos in Module #5 support my thoughts and viewpoint on finding information on the Internet. I believe that it is imperative to teach children how to search properly on the Internet. Incorporating lesson plans that encourage students to determine whether or not a site is valid or appropriate is important. If we are preparing students for the global economy, it is also important to teach them not to believe everything they hear or read. I think many younger children seem to believe anything on the internet. A couple of months ago, I was introduced to the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. This was a perfect website that illustrated how we should not believe everything we see on the web. I used this website with my students a couple of weeks ago and they were shocked. After allowing them to navigate through the website a bit, I told them that it was totally fake and that there was no such thing as a Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. This was a great website to teach this concept. I also liked the other informational literacy websites that I read about in this week's module.
How can you find sites that will hold your students’ attention long enough for them to gather the information they need?
First and foremost, teachers should always try to view websites before introducing them to students. Since I teach primary, my students seemed to be more engaged with websites that are colorful, interactive and respond to them. I think this is the same for when my students are working on iPod touches. Many of the apps I use are progress monitoring, colorful and engaging. When students are on the Internet researching, it may be beneficial for them to identify key words or terms before begin the researching process. This is what many college students due when working on research papers.
How can you better integrate higher order thinking skills into your curriculum that will help students be better users of the Internet?
I think it is important to teach kids how to critique websites. After sharing the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus with my kids, we went back and looked at the website with a different approach. We looked at certain aspects of the website that might be off, or inconsistent. We clicked on links that led to nowhere. We also talked about looking at the publisher and what resources they were using. Doing activities like this helps students begin to integrate higher order thinking skills when using the Internet. The Common Sense Media website provides resources for teaching kids how to do this.
As you view these videos consider how you will approach these two topics with your students. How do you teach these two concepts now?
I always try to have a few lessons at the beginning of the school year that introduce basic researching skills. I teach primary so I do not get too specific. I know our 4th and 5th grade teachers spend quite a bit of time on teaching students researching skills. I did not feel that I would be able to use the videos with my students because they would not be appropriate for their age level. I thought the video that used C.R.A.P as an acronym for helping people remember how to research on the Internet is an interesting reminder, but definitely not acceptable to teach young children.
I may use the last video in a staff meeting to help teachers understand what they should be teaching students.
What have you learned or found in this module that will help you as you teach these concepts to your students? Which of the above resources have been the most helpful for you? At what age should be begin to teach these concepts to students?
I think it is beneficial to teach these concepts to students starting in Kindergarten. However, I feel that it is important to have lessons and videos that are age appropriate. I have found many of the lessons and videos beneficial on the Common Sense Media website.
Module #6
What is our resonsibility as educators, parents, students, and citizens to assure that all children, young people, as well as all of the people with whom we intersect, be responsible digital citizens?
It is our responsibility as educators, parents, students and citizens to assure that all children are responsible digital citizens by helping to guide, educate and model proper digital citizenship. We would do the same when it comes to the real world. We help guide and encourage them to make good choices that are safe. As an educator, I believe it is important to help children be cautious when entering the digital world. Allowing kids to just try and explore might not always be the best experience for them. Teaching students how to approach different digital circumstances, such as inappropriate websites, or cyberbullying will help them becoming responsible and ethical digital citizens. I think sometimes people have the viewpoint of "what they don't know, won't hurt them." I believe this does not apply when it comes to the digital world. Students should be prepared at a young age to know how to handle a situation on the computer. Guiding them and helping create a safe environment will help them when entering the digital world. Bringing parents on board will also benefit students. Having the reinforcement at home is essential.